Ashburton Guardian Megna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1804. THE LITEST RUSSIAN "NOTE."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXI, Issue 6204, 26 February 1904, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Megna est Veritas et Prævalebit. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1804. THE LITEST RUSSIAN "NOTE."

Russia's right to appeal to the Powers against alleged violations of thq laws of civilised warfare on the part of her adversary in Ilia present war is very questionable. It has already been shown, on the clearest evidence, that Russia w.is preparing with might aad main to take Japin at a disadvantage, and that the Czar—peaceful minded noteutiate and all as he is supposed to bb—was simply fooling the Mikado, and prolonging obviously impossible negotiations with the view of gaining time, so tint Russia's warlike preparations might be completed. Count Larasdorffi's Note is before the Powers, but it is noticeable tnat he does nofc charge the Japanese with firing upon and sinking defenceless passenger steamers, nor with

bonil arding defenceless villages, nor yet again with, robbing, beating, and mal treating defenceless refugees, &pd inhumanely refusing to supply them with provisions and water, when forcing them to take refuge on merchant vessels belonging to neutral nations. And—grimmest tragedy of all —nothing is said of the barbar jus treatment of the poor Jew 3, who are peremptorily ordered to leave Siberia, and denied the right to travel oyer the Siberian niilway, which afords the one and only possible avenue of escape for them. If Japan had been guilty of enormities such as these, her friends might possibly have pleaded, in extenuation, that afjbar all she was only a "semi-barbarous" and "half civilised " power, unaccustomed feo the niefr ways which always accompany—on paper and in diplomatic despatches—tfre movements of " Holy Russia." But, as a matter of fact, the enormities are all on the other side, and atrocities of this character have been proved against Christian Russia only, while the great ruler of-the professedly "heathen" nation has given instructions tfcas his rrqops are to treat their Russian prisoners mfy- ev ( ery possible consideration, Eussja fired |;he fir§t shot in the present campaign and th,e Char's advisers all the way through, as a St.

Petersburg journal cynically admitted simply played with Japan over the negotia-' tions,"it. beirnr their fixed determination to attack the Eastern nation once their plans were perfected. The treachery and bad faith h as along been Eus3ia's, and in the misfortunes wiiich have thus early befallen her, ifc is doubtful i£ sfee hns any re il sympathisers, apart from ibe German Em-, peror, whose idiosyncracies are so wellknown that no one is very much surprised at anything he does. Most people indeed will be inclined to regard the Russian

reverses in tfoe Jight #f judgments up in an hypocritical nation, wl>ij?U in-'tye ganred Name o£ God and in the alleged interests of civilisation, does not hesitate fco qoramit . euorinitißß,besidea which even, the Bulgarian atrocities pale into insignificance, la the name of freedom no nation has ever trampled more upon national liberties than (( Koly "Russia " has done. Patriotic Poles fand FiE&?,' whose couutrie3 have been brought under the&<sl of the northern despot, have been made to Butter j^nheard of indignities. Inotfensive Jews have bean done to death by hundreds and thousands, and Russian law rule 9 more by its terrorising injf-^ejjges oyer the people, than by r.-asoja Qf any letter have,for ( their rulers. Tihe Jjaeij: "aiao^UAGS hel<?t .the world aghast; til at they w#re acfciyety at, if not actually planned and icsfcig^tgd by the authorities, has baen made plainly appnvent; the Jews in Russia have been persecuted with a fiei-ce hatred, and a contemptuous disregard for life, which

savours more of Mussulman bigotry and

intolerance than of Christian ze^l and love. .A^noWj to 9, ii the crowning i r"amy of ai'j, we learn 1 that RiJ3sia has banished tie 3'ew-s from Siberia, jw^ltfcer ma>ny of thesf hfive been already .sent ex.^^. on the ffl.w§ % legation jthat they'are Vabet-: tors.of treascis." More fcha» : th-is| jthey aro ' forbidden to use &c Railway, the! Enss'un officials are equaily foffcj^den to ; wive them shelter. The cable, which co \ tera*ly describes the order, adds with a touch of lu&oeent irony, " It is foarod many will die of ox^GSffre." Seeing that there are over 37,000 Jews ;n Siberia—men, women, aud children—and tiisi ;ts aran is no s#ss than 4,833,500 square miies—suore , than 40 fcases as great as New Zealand—its ' only outlet t&j-ng the Trans. Siberian i Railway.tbe ufifl of w«iev W debarred them,; it vriil indeod be nOSt-.t9.Jt vafo;w\& jf any of , their oarobep survive. 2"^ta9 jinnwm&n order, which oxilesthem from Sibetv.?r feU6^ j are turned adrift on the eaowy wastes 0" i a land locked i»: the ewbfraoe of a suVA rctic winter. Ho&sglgss and . psastieally outlawed, they must either psrigh by thel wayside or be devoured by wolves, even if they are fortunate enough to escape the fierce attack of the Cossacks who regard them as &o enemies of their country. And the natioH wWck is guilty of this atrocity complains of japaaeseosiojations of the laws of civilised warfare!